Contrary to previous reports, the fatal avalanche on Broad Peak did not stop all climbers on 8,000m peaks in the Karakoram. An Imagine Nepal team summited Gasherbrum I on Saturday, August 1.
Around the same time, Imagine Nepal’s owner, Mingma G, reached the remains of his business partner, Kilu Sherpa, and friend Nirmal Purja. Mingma G had aborted the expedition he was leading on K2. However, the attempt that his company had started on Gasherbrum I continued as planned, led by Phur Galjen Sherpa.
Another 14×8,000m summiter
Phur Galjen had previously led the summit push on Gasherbrum II and reached the top on July 21, The Tourism Times reported.
Phur Galjen Sherpa of Imagine Nepal. Photo: The Tourism Times
Gasherbrum I marks the completion of Phur Galjen’s quest to climb all 14 of the 8,000m peaks. He has also summited Everest 20 times and other members of that 8,000m group several times.
The summit team also included Valentyn Sypavin of Ukraine, Sim Phei Sunn of Singapore, Aangdu Sherpa, and Lhakpa Nuru.
They might not have been the first summiters of Gasherbrum I this season. According to Russianclimb, that distinction goes to Vasiliy Pivtsov and Mikhail Tarasov of Kazakhstan. The pair climbed without bottled oxygen or Sherpa support.
